


Just Leave Me

by hmweasley



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Banned Together Bingo, Bigotry & Prejudice, Brothers, Gang Violence, Gen, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Injury, off-screen violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:41:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25360111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hmweasley/pseuds/hmweasley
Summary: When James needs money to pay off the Pure Blood Society, Albus is the one he goes to for help, but Albus isn't willing to get his brother out of his own messes anymore.
Relationships: Albus Severus Potter & James Sirius Potter
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13
Collections: Banned Together Bingo 2020





	Just Leave Me

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts:  
> QLFC - James Sirius & Albus Severus  
> Banned Together Bingo - Weapons Deals and Gangs

“A hundred Galleons?” Albus exclaimed in surprise.

He wasn’t sure why it was shocking to hear his brother ask him for that much. He’d done it before, of course, and he was certain to do it again.

“You actually want me to give you a hundred Galleons more when you still owe me fifty from the last time I was stupid enough to lend you money?”

James’ demeanor didn’t change in response to the shaming. He had the same furrow in his brow, and his eyes had the same spark of fear that he’d arrived on Albus’ doorstep with.

“Please,” he said. “I told you, Albus. I have to get the money somehow. You’re the only person I can ask.”

Because he’d alienated everyone else.

James didn’t add that part, but it hovered in the air between them clear as day. The only times Albus had even seen James for the past several years, it had been because his older brother needed something. James didn’t do visits just to catch up with anyone anymore.

Albus was done with it. He had been for ages, but it was always impossible to hold his ground when James turned manipulative. He wouldn’t let it happen anymore.

It didn’t matter that Albus had the money. St Mungo’s paid its Healers well, but that wasn’t the point. There were other people James knew who also had the money, but Albus knew there was a reason James was on his doorstep, not theirs.

“I’m not giving you more money to waste on illegal potions,” he snapped.

He stood from his chair for no reason except that he couldn’t look James in the face anymore. Instead, he stared out his kitchen window, watching the boughs of the trees bend in the wind. It was picturesque, which was why he and Scorpius had chosen the house. Usually, the sight brought him peace, but having James around was the furthest thing from peaceful.

“It’s not for drugs,” James said. “I, er, need to pay some people back.”

Albus whirled around with fire in his eyes.

“Your potion dealer?” he snapped. “Paying off your debt to him is still—”

“It’s not that,” James said, the first real anger in his voice since he’d entered Albus’ house. “This isn’t really about potions at all, but I kind of pissed some people off, and now they expect payment from me.”

Albus stared at James for a long time, but his older brother didn’t glance up from his tea cup.

“James, please tell me that you’re not saying what I think you’re saying. You got caught up in some gang?”

“The Pure Blood Society,” he whispered. “I did some business with them because they paid well, but then they screwed me over—”

“You want me to help you pay back blood supremacists!” Albus yelled. “We have Muggle blood, James. Those people don’t think we should exist.”

“I know, I know,” James said, holding out a hand to placate Albus. 

Albus shoved it away and began to pace back-and-forth across the kitchen.

“I don’t agree with them obviously,” James continued. “It was just a job. I needed the money, and they were willing to pay. But then, somehow, I was the one who owed them money, and now here we are.”

Albus came to a stop and turned to stare at James. He analyzed his brother, taking in his stiff demeanor.

“Do I want to ask what you were selling to the Pure Blood Society?” he asked slowly.

James squirmed in his seat and ran his fingers around the rim of his cup.

“The blueprints for those deluxe dungbomb things Uncle George was designing.”

“You gave them weapons!?”

In his furious pacing, Albus' toe slammed against the corner of the kitchen cabinet. He cursed—both the universe and his brother—as the pain radiated up his leg.

“I can’t believe you armed Death Eaters,” he bit out, collapsing in his chair as he clutched at his foot. “Uncle George even decided not to sell them as a joke product because of the damage they caused, and you know those people plan to make them even worse.”

“First, calling them Death Eaters is too much of a compliment. They’re quite inept, all things considered, but regardless, I didn’t arm them. Frankly, I don’t think they’re capable of making anything, blueprints or not. That’s the only reason I gave them the damn things.”

Albus rubbed at his forehead.

There had been countless times over his life where he’d wanted to lose it and tell James everything he was thinking, but never before had he felt it so strongly. In some bizarre twist of fate, however, it was the one time he found himself able to hold in his anger. It was as if he was so flabbergasted by James’ actions that he had bypassed the ability to be angry.

“Get out,” he said too calmly for the situation. “I’m not giving you money to pass on to Death Eaters, and if you’re keeping that company, I don’t want you in my house.”

“Albus–”

“Get out.”

James left without another attempt at arguing, but despite his resolve, Albus felt a pang of guilt in his heart as his brother disappeared from the fireplace.

* * *

All James knew was that he hurt. He hurt, and somehow, it had become cold despite it being July as he laid on the ground in a small alleyway off Knockturn Alley.

He had been roughed up before, of course, but nothing like what the Pure Blood Society has just done to him. He’d always been able to find the money he needed before, and none of his wand skills had been enough to protect him when he couldn’t.

Briefly, he wondered if he was going to die, but the thought was quickly pushed aside as he worried instead about what the papers would say when it got out that Harry Potter’s son had been attacked by blood supremacists. Even if he survived, his life would grow more difficult. 

Movement in the dark alleyway caught his attention through the haze of pain. James groaned, hoping to get their attention. It didn’t matter who they were.

“James?”

“Albus?”

It took all of the energy he had in him to say the name, and he was left in a coughing fit because of it. Yet it really was Albus who knelt beside him and muttered a spell that put a stop to the coughing.

“Come on,” Albus said, unceremoniously tugging James up and ignoring his groans of pain. “We have to get you out of here.”

A dazed James couldn’t process what was happening as Albus got him to his feet and side-along Apparated with him back to his flat. He collapsed on Albus’ sofa and stared as his little brother performed charm after charm on him, his pain slowly dissipating as Albus worked.

“Quit staring at me,” Albus muttered during a break between spells. “It’s creepy.”

“How did you find me?” James asked, successfully not coughing that time around.

His attackers had been careful when leaving him behind. James hadn't expected anyone to find him until morning at least. It wasn’t like anyone would have gone looking for him.

“I put a tracking spell on you,” Albus admitted without looking at his face. “When you didn’t leave the alley for a while, it was obvious something was wrong.”

“You wouldn’t give me the money,” James said, bitterness colouring his voice. “Why didn’t you just leave me there to die? You’re the reason I got beat up.”

Albus turned to him with fire in his eyes, but he just barely refrained from letting loose. Turning, he grabbed a potion that James hadn’t noticed on the table beside him.

“Shut up and drink this,” Albus said, shoving the potion into James’ hands.

He stormed off without another glance over his shoulder, leaving James alone for the rest of the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me on [Tumblr](http://madetofly.tumblr.com) if you'd like!


End file.
